THE sight of a dozen hot air balloons lifting gracefully from the ground, gas burners blazing, is majestically impressive – to see them do it indoors will be a UK first.

But that is what will happen as the 11th Llangollen Balloon Festival lifts off next month with the Royal International Pavilion filled to bursting point with inflatables.

But these won’t be just any balloons but models of the hot air giants made famous by a variety of enthusiasts, from pioneers the Montgolfier brothers to Virgin boss Richard Branson.

They will be at the Pavilion as part of the festival on the weekend of Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2 – and it promises to be a real eye-opener.

“It’s going to be incredible,” said event organiser David Green.

“Just to be able to see these balloons going up and down indoors is absolutely spectacular.

“They’re models but they’re still impressive and to see them in an enclosed space with a roof, even one as big as the Pavilion, will be really strange.”

Holding an indoor model balloon festival has never been done before in this country and the man responsible for this enclosed extravaganza reckons the Pavilion is just the venue. Andy Marshall, of Lindstrand Balloons, in Oswestry, expects to have up to 13 balloons and a couple of model airships as well at the event.

The largest of those will be made up of some 350 individual panels, each stitched carefully into place with a domestic sewing machine.

“The only control you have over them is through the burner which can control the height,” said Andy, who sees the event as a chance to meet many of the people involved in model ballooning.

“It’s the first chance most of us have had to meet each other face to face as most of us only know each other from the internet.

“We’re all basically balloon loonies but model balloons are affordable where the real ones are very expensive.”

A model balloon kit can cost up to £700 compared to thousands for the genuine article, of which there will be plenty on display at the festival.